With a strong passion for storytelling and ocean conservation, Devon-based environmental journalist, author and broadcaster Anna Turns is taking on a new role as patron for Libraries  Unlimited. Her new BBC radio series, Secrets of the Sea, explores how Westcountry marine scientists are tackling global issues such as overfishing, climate change and sea level rise.  

Anna is currently working as senior environment editor at The Conversation UK, a charity working with academics to make evidence-based research more accessible to a mainstream audience.  She has also presented episodes of BBC Radio 4’s ‘Costing the Earth’ and her book ‘Go Toxic Free: Easy and Sustainable Ways to Reduce Chemical Pollution was published in 2022. She has written for national publications including The Guardian and BBC Future, covering topics such as climate change, renewable energy, marine conversation, food and farming, usually with a focus on solutions.  

 She has joined Libraries Unlimited as a patron at a key time, as they have just announced a £1.5million climate project ‘Together for Tomorrow’, funded by the National Lottery Community Fund.  

The charity, which is commissioned to run the libraries in Devon, is also launching its own reading challenge this summer. The Summer Book Quest, based on their popular The Secret Book Quest challenge, is themed this summer as a Deep Sea Adventure. It not only encourages children to pick up a book, it also explores our oceans and the importance of looking after them.  

“As a biologist, writer and mother, I’m passionate about nature connection and ocean literacy. Just simply stepping onto the seashore to explore a tiny rockpool or reading a coastal-inspired book can spark a lifelong interest in the ocean, so I’m incredibly excited to be a patron for Libraries Unlimited at a time when seas and storytelling combine in this summer’s project and hopefully beyond,” says Anna, who previously ran a Kids Against Plastic campaign called Plastic Clever Salcombe with her daughter. “Facts aren’t enough to inspire action – once we connect with their environment on an emotional level, we’re more likely to feel compelled to act and protect what we love. That’s why stories have a huge role to play. By creating sustainability hubs at Devon’s community libraries, we can also make even more of a difference by working together as a collective.” 

Alex Kittow, Chief Executive Officer, Libraries Unlimited added: “It is incredible to have Anna on board as a patron at this crucial time for both the climate and libraries. Small changes can make a big difference and that is what we hope to achieve by fostering connections to the world around us, to each other, to stories and learning. Anna is the perfect patron for helping us to spread the word about all of this and we are very grateful she has joined us.”

Libraries Unlimited is an independent charity established in April 2016.  

Libraries Unlimited is commissioned to run the public library service in Devon and Torbay. Each local library has something for everyone: books and information, eBooks, audiobooks and digital magazines, music, films, computers with access to the Internet, free Wi-Fi and much more.